unc0mm0n1 wrote:Have you called the VA yet? I called after my payment was late a few days and they told me when exactly I should expect it. Something has to be wrong if you haven't even gotten your book stipend yet.

This. They certified my info around August 27tand I got my stipend around Sept 19th and my BAH Oct 1.

Apparently, some schools wait until after the drop/add period to certify you. At least that's what my vet coordinator said. Michigan certifies us somehow that it says we paid no tuition when I get the letter but we get our BAH/stipend, then after drop/add they amend the certification.

Edit: Looked at my email and fixed dates

One issue that is not the VA's fault is the ONE person at my school that can certify us took two weeks of vacation starting the first day of school. SO, mine didn't get certified until the tenth of Sept and the VA person said it usually goes out 4 weeks after that. Since USAA invariably puts the deposit in the day before the official payment date, I am guessing it is not set to go in tomorrow either.

JCFindley wrote:Dumb question, do I need to send receipts or anything for the book money?

Not a dumb question. There are no dumb questions only dumb Marines (I kid, I kid). Nah but you don't need receipts I've never spent anywhere neare my book stipend for books (love you half.com). I just pocket the rest.

unc0mm0n1 wrote:Have you called the VA yet? I called after my payment was late a few days and they told me when exactly I should expect it. Something has to be wrong if you haven't even gotten your book stipend yet.

I called last week and they said it was "up and being processed" and "should" be in around the tenth. I am going to call again today.

Good call you have to keep on them because if you don't get paid it's no skin off their back.

NYker wrote:From a law student/veteran, for those of you applying for the class of 2016, I hope you are putting in applications to NYU.

I have an app in with NYU, but I have an ED in to Columbia also... Though I'm not terribly optimistic that ED will help me there. I'm a 3.6/172 so I guess we'll see in December!

Did you apply to Harvard? We took so many vets this year. I think some crazy number like 19. I know we basically doubled the number of vets in the school and Dean Minow is really pushing it. She takes us out to dinner every year. Throws this cool Bar-b-que in the fall (last year David Gergen was the speaker) and the school has multiple military focused classes. I'm not saying you'll get in but I know a few vets whose number said borderline but they are here. It doesn't hurt to give it a shot.

JCFindley wrote:Thank yall... Rent is paid but would be nice to have money to eat and for bills and such. Luckily we spent $500 on the last trip to the ft Hamilton commissary so there is still some food left.

JCFindley wrote:Thank yall... Rent is paid but would be nice to have money to eat and for bills and such. Luckily we spent $500 on the last trip to the ft Hamilton commissary so there is still some food left.

You're retired? I wish I still had my ID card

It is nice. I will add that I am retired Guard so I get no pay check or healthcare but I the commissary priv is nice.

JCFindley wrote:Thank yall... Rent is paid but would be nice to have money to eat and for bills and such. Luckily we spent $500 on the last trip to the ft Hamilton commissary so there is still some food left.

You're retired? I wish I still had my ID card

It is nice. I will add that I am retired Guard so I get no pay check or healthcare but I the commissary priv is nice.

Still sucks when you go to get a sub or some sushi for lunch and you forgot it's closed because it's Monday.

JCFindley wrote:Thank yall... Rent is paid but would be nice to have money to eat and for bills and such. Luckily we spent $500 on the last trip to the ft Hamilton commissary so there is still some food left.

You're retired? I wish I still had my ID card

It is nice. I will add that I am retired Guard so I get no pay check or healthcare but I the commissary priv is nice.

Still sucks when you go to get a sub or some sushi for lunch and you forgot it's closed because it's Monday.

I'm finally back near a base with my blue card...made the mistake of going to the barbershop over lunch--uniform=head in line. Other than that being a retiree has been pretty awesome. .

NYker wrote:From a law student/veteran, for those of you applying for the class of 2016, I hope you are putting in applications to NYU.

Thanks for the heads up. Can you elaborate? Are there indications out there from NYU saying they're making an overt push for more students with military backgrounds?

Even so, I don't think even a Medal of Honor could overcome my GPA when it comes to applying to schools like NYU. Okay, maybe a Medal of Honor. But you get my point.

Unfortunately I can't get into specifics at this point but I can tell you there are some great things coming down the pipeline for vets at NYU. I'll make sure to post here as soon as the announcement is officially made. What I can say is that any vet who thinks they have a shot at NYU should definitely put in an app!

I am applying for a funded law program that, if I am selected, should pay for most, if not all, of my tuition and fees. It will also allow me to recieve my normal pay and allowances. I took the Oct 12 LSAT, I think I did well, however Zones really got inside my OODA loop and screwed me up for some reason. I had been PTing in the high 170s(to include 3 180s), and will be retaking if I get anything less than a 174.

I am applying for a funded law program that, if I am selected, should pay for most, if not all, of my tuition and fees. It will also allow me to recieve my normal pay and allowances. I took the Oct 12 LSAT, I think I did well, however Zones really got inside my OODA loop and screwed me up for some reason. I had been PTing in the high 170s(to include 3 180s), and will be retaking if I get anything less than a 174.

I thought most of the schools you're applying to were out of FLEP's range? I had a friend who was going to go to Notre Dame but it he was going to have to cover a portion of the expenses. Also if you get that 174, and school is paid for I'd probably take Minnesota/Texas off that list

Here is a jewel of a tip for anyone calling the VA "customer service" hotline.

OK, I started at 0900 this morning and tried 32 times and wasn't even able to make it to the hour of hold because I kept getting the try again later message. So on #33, I waited to see if they still had the rotary phone user message and they did so I stayed on the line at which time you are prompted to voice what you are calling about. (Oh, clicking a pen during this time will be heard and counted as a voice response.) Anyway, I mumbled unintelligible garble three times and was instantly transferred to an operator. OK, instantly is a relative term and I had to wait an hour and twenty minutes for the call back but at least I was in the queue.

So, at almost noon I found out that I am still in the same spot I was when I called last week. We will see if the bitch-fest that followed that piece of info helps at all.

If not, I am going to try the "Congressional Threat tactic." I am not sure what effect it has on the VA but it REALLY worked well with the locals at MPC the last time I used it.

I am applying for a funded law program that, if I am selected, should pay for most, if not all, of my tuition and fees. It will also allow me to recieve my normal pay and allowances. I took the Oct 12 LSAT, I think I did well, however Zones really got inside my OODA loop and screwed me up for some reason. I had been PTing in the high 170s(to include 3 180s), and will be retaking if I get anything less than a 174.

I thought most of the schools you're applying to were out of FLEP's range? I had a friend who was going to go to Notre Dame but it he was going to have to cover a portion of the expenses. Also if you get that 174, and school is paid for I'd probably take Minnesota/Texas off that list

Hmm, I'll have to look into that, hasn't been the impression that I have been getting. In any case, I am willing to supplement with my GI bill and or personal funds IOT attend a school of that caliber. As for taking those schools off my list, Minnesota will come off, but Texas will stay most like stay on there. Being as I wouldn't be worried about post-graduation employment, I have to consider other factors and family is one of them. Texas is the closest to home. However, my main motivation is wanting to be able to serve Marines and their familes to the best of my abilities, so I believe the other schools on my list will have a significant chance of eliminating Texas in the final descision.

I don't know how the Marine FLEP works, but in the Army, you are expressly prohibited from supplementing with your own funds to attend a particular school. When I applied, the cap was $20,000. Either you applied to schools with tuition less than that cap (most Army FLEPs end up at William & Mary for that reason), or you negotiated with schools for a scholarship. IIRC, the scholarship couldn't be contingent on grades -- the school just had to agree to accept the $20,000 for your tuition and cover the rest itself.

You may very well be able to convince Harvard or similar schools to cut you a break depending on how well you do on your LSAT -- one girl in my FLEP class attended Stanford, another guy attended UVA (in-state, I think). It's workable even at that level, but you'll have to hustle.

This could be Army specific intel, but you may want to double check. If I misunderstood and you aren't doing the FLEP (or whatever it is) then disregard.

Paichka wrote:I don't know how the Marine FLEP works, but in the Army, you are expressly prohibited from supplementing with your own funds to attend a particular school. When I applied, the cap was $20,000. Either you applied to schools with tuition less than that cap (most Army FLEPs end up at William & Mary for that reason), or you negotiated with schools for a scholarship. IIRC, the scholarship couldn't be contingent on grades -- the school just had to agree to accept the $20,000 for your tuition and cover the rest itself.

You may very well be able to convince Harvard or similar schools to cut you a break depending on how well you do on your LSAT -- one girl in my FLEP class attended Stanford, another guy attended UVA (in-state, I think). It's workable even at that level, but you'll have to hustle.

This could be Army specific intel, but you may want to double check. If I misunderstood and you aren't doing the FLEP (or whatever it is) then disregard.

Thanks for the gouge, I'll give the Graduate Ed office at HQMC a call tomorrow, and find out for sure.

Paichka wrote:I don't know how the Marine FLEP works, but in the Army, you are expressly prohibited from supplementing with your own funds to attend a particular school. When I applied, the cap was $20,000. Either you applied to schools with tuition less than that cap (most Army FLEPs end up at William & Mary for that reason), or you negotiated with schools for a scholarship. IIRC, the scholarship couldn't be contingent on grades -- the school just had to agree to accept the $20,000 for your tuition and cover the rest itself.

You may very well be able to convince Harvard or similar schools to cut you a break depending on how well you do on your LSAT -- one girl in my FLEP class attended Stanford, another guy attended UVA (in-state, I think). It's workable even at that level, but you'll have to hustle.

This could be Army specific intel, but you may want to double check. If I misunderstood and you aren't doing the FLEP (or whatever it is) then disregard.

Thanks for the gouge, I'll give the Graduate Ed office at HQMC a call tomorrow, and find out for sure.

Check with the Education office but have them give you the source document then do your own research as well. The education advisers on Ft Belvoir had NO idea that the new Post 911 GI Bill only counted title 32 time after 2009. You would think that is something they would have known but I found it out a month before school started instead. (Just make sure you cover your self.)

Paichka wrote:I don't know how the Marine FLEP works, but in the Army, you are expressly prohibited from supplementing with your own funds to attend a particular school. When I applied, the cap was $20,000. Either you applied to schools with tuition less than that cap (most Army FLEPs end up at William & Mary for that reason), or you negotiated with schools for a scholarship. IIRC, the scholarship couldn't be contingent on grades -- the school just had to agree to accept the $20,000 for your tuition and cover the rest itself.

You may very well be able to convince Harvard or similar schools to cut you a break depending on how well you do on your LSAT -- one girl in my FLEP class attended Stanford, another guy attended UVA (in-state, I think). It's workable even at that level, but you'll have to hustle.

This could be Army specific intel, but you may want to double check. If I misunderstood and you aren't doing the FLEP (or whatever it is) then disregard.

This could be the misunderstanding as well. I was active duty Army. I know we had a cap.

Paichka wrote:I don't know how the Marine FLEP works, but in the Army, you are expressly prohibited from supplementing with your own funds to attend a particular school. When I applied, the cap was $20,000. Either you applied to schools with tuition less than that cap (most Army FLEPs end up at William & Mary for that reason), or you negotiated with schools for a scholarship. IIRC, the scholarship couldn't be contingent on grades -- the school just had to agree to accept the $20,000 for your tuition and cover the rest itself.

You may very well be able to convince Harvard or similar schools to cut you a break depending on how well you do on your LSAT -- one girl in my FLEP class attended Stanford, another guy attended UVA (in-state, I think). It's workable even at that level, but you'll have to hustle.

This could be Army specific intel, but you may want to double check. If I misunderstood and you aren't doing the FLEP (or whatever it is) then disregard.

Thanks for the gouge, I'll give the Graduate Ed office at HQMC a call tomorrow, and find out for sure.

There is a USMC FLEPer at Berkeley. I don't know what his financial arrangement is, but it shows it is possible.

Paichka wrote:I don't know how the Marine FLEP works, but in the Army, you are expressly prohibited from supplementing with your own funds to attend a particular school. When I applied, the cap was $20,000. Either you applied to schools with tuition less than that cap (most Army FLEPs end up at William & Mary for that reason), or you negotiated with schools for a scholarship. IIRC, the scholarship couldn't be contingent on grades -- the school just had to agree to accept the $20,000 for your tuition and cover the rest itself.

You may very well be able to convince Harvard or similar schools to cut you a break depending on how well you do on your LSAT -- one girl in my FLEP class attended Stanford, another guy attended UVA (in-state, I think). It's workable even at that level, but you'll have to hustle.

This could be Army specific intel, but you may want to double check. If I misunderstood and you aren't doing the FLEP (or whatever it is) then disregard.

Thanks for the gouge, I'll give the Graduate Ed office at HQMC a call tomorrow, and find out for sure.

There is a USMC FLEPer at Berkeley. I don't know what his financial arrangement is, but it shows it is possible.